There are no words. Words have power, but there are none to heal the scars or erase the pain. There are no words to call back the dead. We are quick to speak when tragedy strikes; quick to blame and quick to out-grieve our neighbors. Even eleven years on, we mark the day with solemn speeches and rhetoric. We ask people “Where were you on 9/11?” We tell stories of death coming on wings and tears that fell like ash; cries of anguish that rose like smoke where towers once stood. The words flow, but they mean little to the victims and their families. Words cannot change history.

So, we remember. We remember because it was so terrible. We remember because the words don’t do justice to the loss. We remember as a sign of respect and solidarity. We remember because it is impossible to forget.

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